The 12 Faces of Eve: Who hasn’t heard the story of Eve, our “original” mother? But have you ever stopped to think about what she looked like? You might be surprised to find out that most of us might think she looked a little like we do, but what do we look like? Our world is made up of many different faces. Perhaps we have a little bit of all these Eves in our make-up.

Started this last year and worked on it till I was sick of it and now it is finished. I love it! It really tells the story, what will happen? Will the alligator grab the anhinga? Will she fly in time? Who knows? But we have tons of both of them here in Okeechobee.

Just discovered Amanda Cobbett and love her fabulous work! I keep thinking of the beautiful ferns and mosses behind my house and wanting to do something in art with them; I think she will be my muse to figure out how to do it.

Her Process:My process always starts with a morning walk in the forest. Then I return to the studio and start straight away on the sewing machine. I don’t sketch beforehand, as the needle and thread do that job.I use an embroiderer’s hoop with machine stitching, often sewing into a dissolvable fabric. Discovering dissolvable fabric was a huge revelation. It’s so useful being able to build up layers and then wash away the carrier fabric!After washing away the dissolvable fabric, I’m left with a new fabric which I can then use to create my pieces.When it comes to machine stitching to create my fabrics, I am constantly developing new techniques. Different threads behave differently in any combination when put together, so the possibilities are endless. And I use rayon threads for vibrancy of colour.I also make up papier mache stems for the fungi, but only if I have an hour or so to spare. I use traditional papier mache methods and cover the stem with fine silk. I then embellish the stem with sewing, markers, and pyrography techniques. Burning the fabric helps me achieve the natural colours one would expect from a mushroom stem.Once each specimen is complete, I drill holes in them to secure a clear Perspex rod, so they can be inserted into a Perspex acrylic display box. I use the display boxes for observation as much as anything else. I want my work to be seen from all angles. But I also want the work to be preserved and to feel special. If it wasn’t in the box, it would be difficult to look after the piece of work.It took me a long time to find the correct supplier who could share my vision. First attempts with various other suppliers didn’t meet the grade.Quality has been paramount. It would be a shame to go to all the effort of making something hopefully viewed as beautiful and then mess up with its presentation!

Amanda Cobbett: Amanita muscaria, 2019, The cap and gills; free machine embroidery, stem; paper mache, covered with a fine silk embellished, including thread detail for the root and earth as if freshly pulled from the earth

Again, by using an embroidery hoop with dissolvable fabric, I can build up layers of thread by sewing and over sewing. Once this ‘new’ fabric I’ve made is washed and the original carrier dissolved, its thickness is malleable enough for me to begin to sculpt.I don’t use any pastes, binders or forms. The thickness of my sewing in certain places will determine how it will behave once the dissolvable fabric is washed away.I use a natural seaweed-based dissolvable material which if not entirely washed away will leave a size on the thread. But there is a fine line between over- and under-washing. So, the amount of thread to each piece is very much a trial and error method that’s unique to that piece.